Low-Income Resources in Illinois
Welcome to Money Fit’s Low-Income Resource list. We have organized different options into four categories: Food, Housing/Utilities, Child/Family Care, and Healthcare. Each resource includes a brief description, along with contact information such as a phone number and website URL.
Food Resources
Illinois – Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) serves as the first line of defense against hunger. It enables low-income families to buy nutritious food.
Address: Illinois Department of Human Services, Bureau of Civil Affairs, 401 South Clinton St., 6th Floor, Chicago, IL 60607
Phone: 1-800-843-6154 | 1-866-324-5553
Website: click here
Federal Resource – Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
SNAP provides nutrition benefits to supplement the food budget of needy families so they can purchase healthy food and move towards self-sufficiency.
Housing and Utilities
Illinois Department of Commerce – Housing Assistance
The Illinois Department of Commerce administers programs that offer housing support, including housing rehabilitation, rental assistance, and accessibility assistance for occupancy by persons with disabilities. Assistance is offered through the programs listed below and must be accessed either through a unit of local government, a participating community action agency, or other not-for-profit organizations.
Address: 100 W. Randolph Street, Chicago, IL 60601
Phone: 1-833-711-0374
Website: click here
Illinois Department of Commerce – Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP)
The Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) provides cooling, energy crisis, and low-cost weatherization/other energy-related home repair assistance to low-income households to assist with winter heating bills and to provide help for some families who have received utility cut-off notices.
Address: 100 W. Randolph Street, Chicago, IL 60601
Phone: 1-833-711-0374
Website: click here
Federal Resource – Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP)
The Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) helps keep families safe and healthy through initiatives that assist families with energy costs.
Child and Family Care
Illinois Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP)
The Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS) Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP) and your local Child Care Resource and Referral (CCR&R) agency are working together to support families to get the information and resources they need to find and select the best child care for their child.
Address: Illinois Department of Human Services, 100 S Grand Ave E, Springfield, IL 62762
Phone: 1-800-843-6154
Website: click here
Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services
Federal law requires that states offer and provide child support services (IV-D services) to all families, not just those who receive public assistance. In Illinois, child support services are administered by the Department of Healthcare and Family Services (HFS) Division of Child Support Services (DCSS).
Address: Numerous Office Locations – Click Here to Find Your Office
Phone: 1-800-447-4278
Website: click here
Illinois Department of Human Services – Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)
The Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program provides temporary financial assistance for pregnant women and families with one or more dependent children. TANF provides financial assistance to help pay for food, shelter, utilities, and expenses other than medical.
Address: Illinois Department of Human Services, Bureau of Civil Affairs, 401 South Clinton St., 6th Floor, Chicago, IL 60607
Phone: 1-800-843-6154
Website: click here
Illinois Department of Employment Security
The Illinois Department of Employment Security is the code department of the Illinois state government that administers state unemployment benefits, runs the employment service and Illinois Job Bank, and publishes labor market information.
Address: Numerous Office Locations – Click Here to Find Your Office
Phone: 1-800-244-5631
Website: click here
Federal Resource – Women, Infants, and Children (WIC)
WIC is a federally funded nutrition program for Women, Infants, and Children that helps families by providing financial assistance to purchase healthy supplemental foods from WIC-authorized vendors.
WIC also provides nutrition education, breastfeeding information, and support as well as assists in finding healthcare and other community services.
Federal Resource – The Head Start Program
Head Start programs support children’s growth and development in a positive learning environment through a variety of services, which include:
- Early learning: Children’s readiness for school and beyond is fostered through individualized learning experiences. Through relationships with adults, play, and planned and spontaneous instruction, children grow in many aspects of development.
- Health: Each child’s perceptual, motor, and physical development is supported to permit them to fully explore and function in their environment. All children receive health and development screenings, nutritious meals, oral health, and mental health support. Programs connect families with medical, dental, and mental health services to ensure that children are receiving the services they need.
- Family well-being: Parents and families are supported in achieving their own goals, such as housing stability, continued education, and financial security. Programs support and strengthen parent-child relationships and engage families around children’s learning and development.
Federal Resource – Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)
The Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program provides grant funds to states and territories to provide families with financial assistance and related support services. State-administered programs may include childcare assistance, job preparation, and work assistance.
Healthcare Resources
Federal Resource – Medicaid
Authorized by Title XIX of the Social Security Act, Medicaid was signed into law in 1965 alongside Medicare. All states, the District of Columbia, and the U.S. territories have Medicaid programs designed to provide health coverage for low-income people. Although the Federal government establishes certain parameters for all states to follow, each state administers its Medicaid program differently, resulting in variations in Medicaid coverage across the country.
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